Tribute under the Aztecs &

Differing Interpretations of the Conquest

HW 5

Note:

(1) assignments appear in the syllabus on the day assigned, not the day due

(2) You must submit your written work by blackboard's dropbox.

(3) BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE FILE-NAMING CONVENTIONS FOR THIS COURSE (5% penalty if you do not).

All files should be saved on your computer as: your last name, followed by an underscore ("_"), followed by the first two letters of your first name, followed by an underscore ("_"), followed by the assignment number. So if a student named Saddam Hussein were to submit assignment number 5, the file name would be:

hussein_sa_5.doc

THIS IS ASSIGNMENT 5

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1) Why is "Ecological Imperialism" an accurate term to describe to both the Incan and Aztec Empires? A full answer to this question will explain why both the words "ecological" and "imperialism" appear in the phrase and provide a specific example of each for both empires (for a total of at least four examples). In other words, what about the Aztecs and Incans was imperialitstic? Why should we call their form of imperialisms "ecological imperialisms"?

2) In pages 507 - 512, the author details both (A) why Europeans were cut off from the rest of the world and then (B) why suddenly they became the world's most successful explorers, discovering trade routes between Europe and the Americas that proved valuable. Explain both phemomena using your own words and then explain how and why those conditions changed. When considering your response, you will want to address the question of whether or not, according to the author, there was something special about Europeans that lead them to discover these world-changing routes. If the author doesn't think there wasn't something special about European culture, what does he think explains their eventual success in discovering world trade routes relative to other groups? You will likely write a stronger answer if you read to the end of p. 512 before coming to a conclusion.

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3) Question on Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdos description of Aztec society.

This question refer to a text by Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdos describing Aztec society; click here to get the document.


Economists often speak of "planned" versus "free-market" economies.

A planned economy is an economic system in which the state or government to one degree or another manages the economy. Its most extensive form is referred to as a "centrally planned economy" or "command and control economy." In such economies, the state or government controls all major sectors of the economy and formulates all decisions about their use and about the distribution of income. The planners decide what should be produced and direct enterprises to produce those goods. Planned economies are in contrast to unplanned economies, i.e. a free-market economy, where production, distribution, and pricing decisions are made by the private producers based upon their own and their customers' interests rather than upon furthering some overarching plan.

In a paragraph or two of carefully written prose, answer the following question:

How can the evidence from Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdos' description of Aztec society be interpreted to argue that the Aztec economy resembled either a "planned" or "free-market" system (or a hybrid of both). If the Aztec economy resembled, either entirely or partially, a "planned" economy, for whose benefit was it planned?

Your response will require at least four direct quotations from Valdos' description and should use the above definition of the two economic systems. Be sure you make explicit to your reader how and why the Aztec society falls into one or the other categories above. Be sure, also, to identify your CL/EV/WA elements.

4) Here you will find a description by Cortés of his conquest of the Mexican capitol; here you will find a painting of the 16th century conquest done in the 20th century by the Mexican nationalist Diego Rivera; and here is a native Mexican's rendition of the same event, this time drawn from the oral traditions of native Mexicans in the 16th century.

Fill out the following chart comparing these three interpretations of the conquest. (don't miss question 5 after the chart)

(DOWNLOAD THIS TABLE AS AN MS-WORD DOCUMENT)

Interpretation	The basis or reason, according to the interpretation, for perceived Spanish superiority and/or the reason for the military success of the Spanish	Nature of Spanish relative to the natives, according to the interpretation	Nature of Indians (e.g., unified? divided?) according to the interpretation ˆ
Cortés
Rivera	hint: what object takes up most of the image?		hint: WHO IS ON WHICH SIDE?
Native Mexican, 16th century			hint: WHO IS ON WHICH SIDE?

(DOWNLOAD THIS TABLE AS AN MS-WORD DOCUMENT)

5) Which of the above interpretations comes closest to the portrayal of the conquest by the historian Armesto that you read this week and why? Be sure to think about it carefully -- it's likely not quite what you thought it was before reading the chapter. Organize your argument around the familiar claim/evidence/warrant format.

"END OF ASSIGNMENT"